Uncoiler for strip material



June 3, 1924. a

JOHNSON UNCOILER FORSTBIPMATERIAL Filed May 23, 1923 4 Sheets-$h8t 1 Y ww m lfl/ wwmw I @N 3 wm w -wvm l I ll mm. MW NM \NN NM w MN NN June 3, 1924. 1,496,056,

' L. JOHNSON UNCOILER FOR STRIP MATERIAL Filed May 23 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ljlllllllll lllllll l INVENTOR.

Jflnb 3. 1924.

JOHNSON v UNCOILER FOR STRIP MATERIAL Filed ma 25 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 \\\\\\N v I INVENTOR June 3,1924.- 1,496,056

' L. JOHNSON UNCOILER FOR STRIP MATERIAL INVENTOR Patented Jim 3, 1924. J

LANE JOHNSON, 0F INGRAM, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 UNITED ENGINEERING AND FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF PENNSYLVANIA.

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF UNCGILER FOR STRIP MATERIAL;

Application filed May 23, 1923. Serial No. 640,883.

State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new 'and useful Improvement in Uncoilers for the line 'lV-IV of Figure'2, illustrating Strip Material, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The presentinvention relates broadly to the metal-working art, and more particularly to means ,for unwinding and straightening coils of strip material.

At the present time it is quite common practice in the rolling mill art to coil strips of rolled material as delivered by. the last stand of hot 'rolls, in order to facilitate handling of the material during further treatment thereof. It has heretofore been the practice to take such coils and straighten the material manually. By the present invention there is provided a mechanism embodying means for supporting and rotating a coil of strip material and simultaneously effecting a continuous stripping of the strip from the coil and straightening of the same, whereby the uncoiling and straightening of coiled strip material may be performed muchmore efiicaciouslythan by the tedious and laborious hand method.

In the accompanying drawings there is shown, for purposes of illustration only, one embodiment of the present invention, it being understood that the drawings do not define the limits of the invention, as changes may be made inthe construction and operation therein disclosed without departing from the spiritof the invention or scope of my broader claims.

In the drawings,-.-

Figure 1 is a plan view, partly broken away, of the uncoiler mechanism;

Figure 2 is a view partly in side elevationand partly in vertical section, of the structure illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a verticalsectional view taken on the line TIL-III of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view on the gearing for driving the rollers which support and rotate the coil; and

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the operation of the coil supporting and rotating rollers.

The coil supporting and rotating means may be mounted in a suitable housing A, and the means for operating the supporting and rotating means may be supported in a housing B spaced from the housing A. The coil supporting and rotating means may comprise a pair of stationary rollers 2 journalled in brackets 3 in the upper part of the housing A, and a pair of rollers 4 movable vertically in the lower part of said housing and journaled in brackets 5 mounted upon a pin 6 extending transversely through the upper end of a vertical iston 7 operating in -a fluid-pressure cylin er 8.

The pin 6 has a bearing block 9 journaled upon each end thereof, the said blocks being guided in vertical slots 10 in the opposite side walls of the housing A. This construction prevents turning of the piston 7, whereby the axes of the lower rollers 4 are maintained in parallel relationship with the axes of the, upper rollers 2 at all times.

The normal position of the lower rollers 4 is below the floor-line C indicated in Figure 5, this positionof said rollers being indicated in dash-and-dot lines in said figure.

'At the right-hand side of said figure, there is shown in dash-and-dot lines the position of a 0011 prior to its insertion between the supporting and rotating rollers 2- and {1.

It will be apparent thatthe coil may be positioned between the rollers by simply rolling it on the floor. until it rests upon the rollers 4 in the'position indicated at a in Figure 5. cylinder 8 may be operated to raise the piston 7 and thereby raise the coil supported upon the rollers 4 until said coil is engaged by the upperstationary rollers 2. The fluid pressure cylinder 8 affords means for maintaining a yielding clamping pressure of the relatively movable rollers 52 and 4 upon the peripheralsurface of the coil.

The stripping means may comprise a blade 11 having secured tothe opposite ends thereof a pair of arms .12 having handle portions 13 at one extremity thereof and having the opposite extremity thereof formed with books 14 for engagement with Thereafter, the fluid-pressure,

bearing pins 15 which are screwed into. bosses in the side walls of the housing A.

. The blade 11 is so positioned that its edge may comprise a motor 17 is maintained by gravity in engagement with the periphery of the coil to be uncoiled and straightened, the blade continuously engaging between the two outermost laminae of the. coil so as to continuously strip the outer lamina from the main body of the coil as the latter is rotated. A pair of driven pinch'rolls 16 may be provided, spaced laterally. from the housing A and arranged to receive the strip between them after the same has'been initially separated from the coil by the blade 11. These rolls maybe the first rolls of a levelling set, if desired.

The principal function of the blade ll is to make the initial separation of the outer lamina of the. coil from the body thereof until a sufiicient length of the material has been separated from the coil to reach to the pinch rolls 16. After the end of the strip has been inserted between the pinch rolls, the latter exert sufficient tension upon the strip to separate the same from the coil independently of the blade 11, although the latter may assist in the operation.

The means for driving the rollers 2 and 4 I having a pinion 18 on the drive shaft 19 thereof in engagement with a gear 20 on a shaft 21 parallel to the shaft19. The shaft 21 is connected by a suitable coupling 22 to a shaft 23 which.

' has mounted thereon a gear 24. The gear elongated spindles 30,. which-are coupled at their opposite ends with the said axles and shafts 29 by means of universal couplings 31 and 32. The. couplings 32 which connect the spindles30 with the shafts 29 are proivided with short sleevesv 33 which telescopically engage reduced end portions 34 of said spindles, whereby the length of said spindles may be varied, particularly to compensate for the raising and lowering of the lower rollers 4 by the piston 7. While I I have shown means for driving all of the coil engaging rollers, it may be desirable in some cases to drive less than thelwhole number ofthese rollers. p The axles of the lower rollers 4 project at the ends thereof. hich are joined to the universal couplings. 1 through vertical slots 35 inthe corresponding side wall of the housing A. The side walls of the housing A are provided, above the slots 10 and 35, with openings 36. After the stri has been entered :between the pinch rol s 16, the

tension of the latter upon the strip may be aeeaose utilized to rotate the coil-as well as to arate the strip therefrom, in which case a pin 36' may be inserted through a pair'. of alined openings 36 in the side walls'of the housing A and through the coil to support the latter. Thereafter, the piston 7.

may be lowered to position the'lower rollers 4 below the floor-line C in position to re- 1 ceive another coil, and the motor 17 shut off. It will be seen by reference to Figure 3 that the housing A projects below the floorline-G, and that in the lowered position of the piston 7 the lower rollers 4 are approximately flush with said floor-line, so that a coil may be positioned upon said rollers by rolling the same on thefioor into the housing A without requiring any lifting of mitted into the cylinder 8 to raise the piston 7 to-clamp the coil yieldingly between the rollers 2 and 4, and this yielding clamping pressure may be maintained throughout the uncoiling of the coil, or only until the strip has been. entered into the bite of the pinch rolls 16. As the coil, in being uncoiled, gradually decreases in diameter, the lower rollers 4 will gradually move upwardly, if

the pressure is maintained in the cylinder 8, whereby the coil is effectively gripped between'the cooperating rollers 2 and 4.at all times. during the uncoiling operation.

The advantages of the present invention arise from the provision of an automatic uncoihng apparatus which is of compact form, which may be readily installed, which requires comparatively small floor space, and which does, away with the laborious and tedious operation of uncoiling coils of strip material by hand.

I claim:

v 1. In an uncoiler for metal strip material,

coil supporting means, means for actuating sald supporting .means to rotate the coil supported thereby, and stripping means cooperating with said supporting means for I engagement with the'periphery of the rotating coil for initially stripping the strip from the body of the coil, said stripping means including a stripping member maintained in contact with the body of the-coil at all times during uncoiling thereof, substantially as described. v

' 2. In an uncoiler for metal strip material,

operable means for engagement with the periphery; of a coil for supporting and rotating the same, stripping means cooperating with said su'pportingand rotating means for engagement with. the periphery of the rotating coil for initially Stripping the strip from the body of the coil, said stripping means being pivotally mounted and maintained in contact with the body of the coil at al] times during uncoiling thereof, and means for op erating said operable means to thereby rotate said coil, substantially as described.

3. In an uncoiler for metal strip material, individual means for engagement with the periphery of a coil at a plurality of separate points thereon for supporting and clamping said coil. at least certain of saidmeans being operable for rotating said coil, means for operating said operable means, and stripping means cooperating with said supportingand rotating means for engagement with the periphery of the rotating coil for initially stripping the strip from the body of the coil, substantially as described.

4. In an uncoiler for metal strip material,

.a plurality of relatively movable means for engagement with the periphery of a coil at separate points thereon, yielding means for producing relative movement between said relatively movable means for causing the latter to maintain a yielding clamping pres sure upon said coil, at least certain of said relatively movable means being operable for rotating said coil, means for operating said operable means, and stripping means c0- operating with said supporting and rotating means for engagement with the periphery of the rotatingcoil for initially stripping the strip from the body of the coil, substantially as described.

5. In an uncoiler for metal strip material, a plurality of relatively movable rollers for engagement with the periphery of a coil at separate points thereon, yielding means for producing relative movement between said rollers for causing the latter'to maintain a yielding clamping pressure upon said coil, means for rotating certain of said rollers for rotating said coil, and means engaging the periphery of said coil for initially stripping the strip from the body of the coil as the latter is rotated, substantially as described.

6. In an uncoiler for strip material, a housing, a plurality of stationary rollers mounted therein for engagement with the periphery of a coil at separate points thereon, a plurality of mova le rollers mounted in said housing for cooperation with said stationary rollers and for engagement with .said coil at other points on the periphery thereof, yielding means tending to move said movable rollers toward said-stationary rollers for maintaining a yielding clamping pressure of said rollers upon said coil, driying means for said rollers spaced from said housing, flexible driving connections between said rollers and said driving means, and stripping means for said coil, substan-- tially as described.

7. In an uncoiler for stri material, a housing, a-plurality of relatively. movable rollers journaled therein for engagement with the periphery of a coil, yielding means housing spaced from said first mentioned housing, a plurality of shafts journaled in said last mentioned housing, means for driving said shafts, and a driving connection between each of said shafts and a roller, comprising an elongated spindle, a universalcoupling between one end of each spindle and its corresponding shaft, and a universal coupling between the opposite end of each spindle and the axle of the corresponding roller, substantially as described.

8. In an uncoiler for strip material, a

housing, a plurality of relatively movable rollers journaled therein for engagement with the periphery of a coil, yielding means tending to produce relative movement between said rollers for maintaining said rollers in clamping engagement with said coil, a housing spaced from said first men-' tioned housing, a plurality of shafts journaled in said last mentioned housing, means for driving said shafts, and a driving connection between each of said shafts and a roller, comprising an elongated spindle, a universal coupling between one end of each spindle and its corresponding shaft, and a universal coupling between the opposite end of each spindle and the axle of the corresponding roller. certain of said spindles being automatically adjustable as to length, substantially as described.

9. In an uncoiler for strip material. a housing having spaced side walls, relatively movable rollers mounted in said housing for engagement with the periphery of a coil at spaced points thereon, means for maintaining said rollers in yielding clamping engagement with said coil, means for rotating certain of said rollers, a stripper blade, and arms carried by said blade, said arms being pivotally supported and hav-.-

ing open bearings permitting the ready removal of said blade, substantially as described. A

10. In an uncoiler for strip material, means for initially supporting and rotating a coil and initially stripping the strip from the body of the coil during such initial rotation thereof, and other means for thereafter supporting and rotating said coil and continuously stripping the strip from the body of the coil during suchrotation thereof, substantially as described.

11. In an uncoiler for strip material, means for. producing initial rotation of a; coil, said means constituting the supporting meansfor said coil during such initial rotation thereof,-means for initially stripping J the stripfrom' the body the coil during such initial rotation thereof, and means for thereafter rotating the coiland stripping the strip from the body thereof, substantially as described.

12. In an uncoiler for strip material, means for rotatlng a coil, said means constituting the supporting means for said COIl during such rotation thereof, means for initially stripping the strip from the body of the rotating coil, and means for thereafter supportin the coil and effecting the stripping of tie strip from the body of the 4 co-il', substantially as described.

13. In an uncoiler for strip material, a housing, spaced stationery upper rollers mounted in said housing for engaging the resaoee' -my hand. to clamp the coil between said upper and lower rollers and to maintain a predetermined clamping pressure thereon during the uncoiling of the coil, and means for rotatmounted in said housing or engaging the periphery of a coil, spaced'lower rollers for engaging the periphery of said coil, a movable support for said lower rollers, fluidpressure means for raising said support to move said lower rollers toward said upper rollers to clamp the coil between said upper and lower rollers and to maintain a predetermined clamping pressure thereon during the.unwinding of the coil, and means for rotating at least certain 'of said rollers whereby to rotate the coil, substantially as described.

Intestimony whereof I have hereunto set LANE JOHNSON, 

